Similar to a piano that requires tuning by a piano tuner, knives require sharpening by a professional every now and then. Yesterday I took my Santoku knife for sharpening at a shop that sold knives near my office. I have a knife sharpener at home which I use every time before I cut something with my knife, but somehow the blade isn’t as sharp as it was when I first bought it. Finally I decided it’s time for me to take it to a professional to restore it to its former glory so to speak.

This Santoku knife of mine was made in Japan and it’s the first knife I bought when I moved back to Hong Kong in May 2011. As most Santoku knives do, this one has served me well. According to Wikipedia, its name “refers to the three cutting tasks which the knife performs well: slicing, dicing, and mincing. The Santoku’s blade and handle are designed to work in harmony by matching the blade’s width/weight to the weight of blade tang and handle, and the original Japanese Santoku is a well-balanced knife”.

It’s the only knife I use in my kitchen and as it’s meant to be used, I slice, dice and mince with it. When I bought it, I decided I wanted to buy a good knife and not a cheap one from IKEA. I once bought knives from IKEA and they were so blunt and lousy compared to the knife I bought.

Using a good knife is like driving your dream car. That clean and quick cut it renders when you bring the blade down on the thing you’re cutting is akin to stepping on that accelerator and feeling your dream car move in all its elegance and power. Pure bliss in the kitchen. A good knife is also like a classic watch – it’ll always be relevant and you’ll never need to replace it, for its high quality can stand the test of time.

I believe this knife will stay with me for a long time. It’s definitely one thing I will take with me when I eventually move out of this flat. It’ll be an item that will remind me of Hong Kong as it’s one of the first things I bought when I moved back!